How Great Was Luhrmann's Gatsby?

         Visually dazzling, spectacular over-the -top parties, and an unforgettable soundtrack fills the mind of the viewer for the first half of the movie. These fantasy filled, money-no-object parties blended into each other, creating a world like no other. This paled in comparison to the parties and festivities described in the first half of the book. However, when the main characters actually meet for the second time and the story begins to unravel, there is a huge letdown for the audience. The movie becomes focused on two characters that had limited chemistry between them. Even though Gatsby focused on proving his worthiness to Daisy, however, Daisy is unmoved by all of it and does not care what Gatsby actually feels. She is self-centered and absorbed in her own world. Although the movie stayed true to the book, yet, it was a world away from the actual book. The only thing really connecting it to the creative work of Fitzgerald were his actual words depicted on the movie screen. Even though this movie was entertaining and exciting in the beginning, however, it managed to show the bittersweet, tragic characters going towards their inevitable fate. The movie was entertaining yet dragged out towards the end.